East Texas Boy Needs Your Help Battling Cancer

UPDATE 5/11: The Battin' for Brock event planned for May 20th has been temporarily cancelled. Friends in the Battle for Brock hope to reschedule soon. In the meantime, you can help Brock battle by contributing here.

There is a tough little guy fighting a big battle in East Texas by the name of Brock Gumm, and his family needs your help.

Brock Gumm is an eight year old boy from Union Grove who was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in his left arm when he was six years old.

The cancer started in his arm, but spread to his lungs, which is very common for this particular type of cancer. He has undergone 21 rounds of chemo, limb salvage surgery, amputation of his left arm, a thoroscopy and a bilateral thoracotomy.

He is currently cancer free and waiting to start a new immunotherapy treatment at MD Anderson in Houston.

According to their Go Fund Me page, Brock’s long-term survival rests on his ability to receive immunotherapy treatment. The immunotherapy of choice is an agent called Mifamurtide. It has been found in clinical trials that treatment with Mifamurtide can reduce mortality by 30 percent. It is not FDA approved in the US, but it is in 27 countries.

The family is currently working with Brock’s doctors to get this medicine for Brock. Several families in the US have now been able to get this important compound, and we believe that the Gumm family will be next. Unfortunately, this immunotherapy protocol, no matter how successful, is not covered by any insurance.

In order to provide Brock with the very best chance at life, the Gumm family MUST raise the cost of the treatment themselves- $100,000 for the 48 vials he will need.

How can you help Brock? You can help the Gumm Family by donating to their Go Fund Me Page, or participating in the 2nd Annual 'Battin' For Brock Home Run Derby' set for May 20th at the Gladewater Baseball Complex. A $10 entry fee purchases 10 outs, with the option to purchase extra outs before batting for $2 per out.

Trophies will be awarded to the winners in each age group. Age groups include 8 and under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15+. The distance for a home run will vary for each age.